In particular, this application relates to systems used in the collection and disposal of certain medical wastes. The collection of fluent waste material is a common procedure in the medical field. Most methods of surgical waste collection are carried out using vacuum suction. Some methods use gravity, while some use impelling devices which produce suction vacuum.
Examples of such impelling devices may comprise a meniscus shaver, a lipo-suction system, an arthroscopic fluid pump, a tissue ablator, an endoscopic irrigation and aspiration wand and the like. Surgical fluid waste is collected in containers commonly referred to as canisters and/or canister liners. These waste collection devices are generally disposable, some are re-cycled, re-processed, or rewashed. Some collection devices are re-used. Some are partially reused while some are intermittently re-used. Some are disposable or partially disposable. Some are used in conjunction with servicing units while some are used with additive agents for treating the waste material. Some are used multiple times on multiple patients without the preferable cleaning in between treatment of different patients. In certain instances reused devices are cleaned, reprocessed, sterilized, re-sterilized and or recycled and or prepared for reuse. There are disadvantages to the use of disposable collection canisters and canister liners. One problem is that disposable collection canisters and disposable collection liners contribute contaminated infectious plastic waste to the medical waste stream which is undesirable for the environment. Reuse of disposable collection devices by recleaning, re-labeling or reprocessing or recycling and or sterilizing, has the disadvantages of adding costly labor and requiring additional labor costs for sorting, containing transporting and handling of contaminated medical waste containers, and then the added costs of product re-entry into the internal/external product re-sterilization internal/external distribution system. There is a significant need to reduce medical waste. The need to reduce medical waste is a serious common goal of the United States and Internal Agencies. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the American Hospital Association has entered into a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) formally establishing the goals to reduce medical waste 50% by the year 2010. Hospitals for Healthy Environment (www.H2E-Online.org), now Practice Greenhealth and is the name of the aforementioned alliance for waste reduction, supported by formidable organizations and companies such as the American Nurses Association, Healthcare Without Harm, the EPA, plus Group Purchasing Organizations, leading health care organizations, federal, state and local government agencies and health care associations and the like.
It is important in the health care field to have good quality sturdy and reliable products. This is true especially in the field of collection of contaminated biological waste material. Containers for these purposes must be easy to use, and be designed with good human factors and ergonomics for the operators of such devices. One key important ergonomic feature is that the systems for collection of biological waste must be easy to use, and the amount of effort and strength required to assemble such systems should be easy and require little effort by the operators. Embodiments of the instant case provide for such ease of use. In addition other useful features which represent good quality standards for collection containers and systems and methods involve stability so that when containers are placed on a horizontal surface they are stable. The container should be puncture, leak and impact resistant and be stable and secure if dropped. It should be manufactured out of materials which function for the intended purposes, and if made form a polymer, have a durometer that should not crack or break if dropped. Labels and brackets should be made durable. The system should be autoclavable, so that if desired by the customer, it may be reused. The systems should be available in various sizes to accommodate a variety of patient populations as well as be effective to operate in a number of different treatment situations and locations. The system should not have any parts that are sharp, that might compromise the operator's personal protection, and not tear gloves, or other personal protective equipment such as gowns, gloves, masks, etc. Designs of systems of this sort should promote safe clinical care and perform according to those safe clinical standards. The design should promote resistance to opening after final sealing for disposal, as well as promote easy assembly and easy opening (in this case easy sealing and unsealing) with good ergonomic and human factor attributes. All closure seals should function tightly and maintain the leak proof seal during use, handling and transport. The design should accommodate easy carrying and handling so that transport of the systems may be done safely without contaminating the surrounding environment. Grips and handles should be designed for ease of access and use. Parts should be designed for ease of decontamination, and be rugged to withstand multiple autoclaving if desired. Openings must be free of obstruction, entanglement and sub-assembly parts must be able to attach and dis-attach without requiring undue hand work strength or significant effort.
In addition various scenarios that occur during health care are supply chain efficiency and supply management require unique features to products that encounter such scenarios. Some scenarios occur in the operating room. For example, collection systems should be designed to be easy to use during room turnover. They should be easy to use during intra-operative system changing. They should be easy to use after terminal sterilization and room setup. And they should be easy to use when preparing an operating room at the beginning of the operating day. Such collection systems should be easy to check/test to make sure they are operating correctly. Especially in a vacuum suction collection system, testing suction and checking seals must be easy and without undue fiddling or parts manipulation. This is especially significant whereas many time the individual who may be preparing the collection system for use, may do so prior to and at time different than actual use, which means the operator setting up the system for use is not the same operator using the system to collect waste. Ease of checking/testing, especially of the seals becomes important if, for example the prior individual does not properly assemble or prepare the system for subsequent use and the operator must then insure the system is in intended working condition at a later time. It is also desirable, when dealing with contaminated biological waste that handling of unsealed containers holding biological waste material is kept to a minimum, and that containers are sealed prior to handling and transport. It is also important that a minimum of handling be required during the various scenarios mentioned above and that hand and hand coordination may be achieved to carry out the aforementioned clinical safety features. It is understood that the aforesaid features for the aforesaid scenarios do not only apply to the operating room. Other settings as further defined by the instant application are all applicable. Another example is that safe sealing of containers containing biological waste must be achievable with one handed technique as provided by the instant system. These practical features bring good ergonomic and human factors to the instant system while providing a good clinically safe system into the health care setting.